What Azimuth Undertake does

Azimut Entreprendre (operating under the brand name 'Azimut' in Belgium) is a non-profit organization (ASBL — Association Sans But Lucratif) founded in 1999 and headquartered in Monceau-sur-Sambre, Belgium. It operates as a SAACE (Structure d'Accompagnement à l'Autocréation d'Emploi) — one of only 11 such publicly-licensed structures in Wallonia — delivering a multi-phase entrepreneurial accompaniment program to unemployed job seekers registered with the regional public employment service (Forem). The core offering, the 'Parcours d'Accompagnement SAACE', runs through three phases: Phase Preparation (2–3 months of Lean Canvas-based business model development), Phase Test (up to 24 months of real-market activity under Azimut's enterprise number while the entrepreneur retains unemployment benefits), and Post-Création (3 years of continued support for recently independent entrepreneurs). Add-on modules include Plan Airbag (administrative facilitation for up to €12,500 in non-repayable Walloon Region grants, with a 95% acceptance rate), Plan d'Affaires (collaborative business plan development), and the specialized Teste Ton Studio program for video game developers.

The underlying technology footprint is intentionally lightweight: a Wix-hosted website (azimut-entreprendre.be) integrated with Wikiflow for event registration, a digital learning academy, and collaborative workshops anchored in the Lean Canvas methodology. The proprietary SAACE testing framework — enabling legal market testing under Azimut's enterprise number — is the principal non-technological structural differentiator.

The business model is entirely grant-funded: services are 100% co-financed by the Walloon Region and the European Union (FSE/FEDER) and provided free of charge to eligible job seekers in Wallonia, with an additional 10% contribution to cooperative operating costs calculated on the entrepreneur's gross margin during the testing phase. Revenue accrues through multi-year public subsidy contracts and administrative allocations tied to Plan Airbag facilitation. The organization serves four regional offices (Charleroi, Tournai, Nivelles, Louvain-la-Neuve), has accompanied 6,000+ people and created 1,250+ companies since founding, and is led by co-directors Loraine Hauert and Pierre Hulet.

Name

Azimuth Undertake

Legal name

Azimut Entreprendre ASBL

Website

https://azimut-entreprendre.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Azimut Entreprendre is a Belgian non-profit (ASBL) and licensed SAACE that delivers free, publicly-funded entrepreneurial accompaniment to unemployed job seekers in Wallonia across preparation, 24-month market testing, and 3-year post-creation phases, having created 1,250+ companies since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurial Support and Business Incubation Services

NAICS

Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurial support services
• Business incubation programs
• Market testing services
• Public employment accompaniment
• Business plan development

Headquarters

HQ city

Monceau-sur-sambre

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Subsidy Model: Azimut Entreprendre operates as a non-profit organization (ASBL) funded entirely through public subsidies from the Walloon Region and European Union (FSE - European Social Fund). Services are provided free of charge to job seekers. The organization also receives funding through the Forem employment service and participates in FEDER regional funding programs.
2. Plan Airbag Administration: The organization assists entrepreneurs in preparing and submitting Plan Airbag funding applications (up to €12,500 in public grants). While the funding goes directly to entrepreneurs, Azimut receives administrative support allocations for facilitating these subsidies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Azimut Entreprendre delivers a free, publicly co-financed SAACE entrepreneurial accompaniment program for unemployed job seekers in Wallonia. The program moves participants through a Phase Preparation (2–3 months of Lean Canvas business modeling), a Phase Test (up to 24 months of real-market activity operated under Azimut's enterprise number while unemployment benefits are retained), and three years of Post-Creation support. Complementary offerings include Plan Airbag (assistance securing up to €12,500 in non-repayable Walloon grants), Plan d'Affaires (collaborative business plan workshops), and Teste Ton Studio (a specialized track for video game developers in partnership with Walga).

Product overview

Azimut Entreprendre operates as a SAACE (Structure d'Accompagnement à l'Autocréation d'Emploi), providing a comprehensive multi-phase entrepreneurial support ecosystem for job seekers in Wallonia. The core offering consists of the Parcours d'Accompagnement SAACE, which progresses through three main phases: Phase Préparation (2-3 months of business model development using Lean Canvas), Phase Test (up to 24 months of real-market testing with Azimut's enterprise number), and Post-Création (3 years of continued support). The service portfolio includes Plan Airbag (up to €12,500 public grant), Plan d'Affaires (business plan development with video capsules and workshops), and Teste Ton Studio (specialized program for video game developers in partnership with Walga). All services are 100% co-financed by the Walloon Region and European Union, making them free for eligible participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plan Airbag: A public financial aid program offering up to €12,500 for new entrepreneurs in Wallonia, provided by the Walloon Region service without need for reimbursement.
• Teste Ton Studio
• #YAPAKE

Products and services

• Parcours d'Accompagnement SAACE

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% increased business management skills
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Walga (Wallonia Game Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial gaming association in Wallonia partnering with Azimut for the 'Teste Ton Studio' program specifically designed for video game developers and studio creators. Walga provides industry expertise, networking opportunities, and exhibition space at events like Gamescom for program participants.
• ForemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic employment service of Wallonia serving as the primary referral channel for job seekers. Azimut's accompaniment programs are integrated into the Forem's entrepreneurship support ecosystem for registered job seekers.
• Starter WalloniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of all 11 SAACE structures in Wallonia, co-ordinating collective initiatives like the annual 'Start noW!' entrepreneurship event. Azimut is one of the founding/agented members of this network.
• IFAPMEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWalloon Institute for Entrepreneurship providing complementary training and education programs. Azimut refers entrepreneurs to IFAPME for sector-specific training (e.g., artisanal skills).
• Technocité / TechnifuturminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical training institutions in Wallonia providing specialized education for gaming industry participants in the 'Teste Ton Studio' program. Alexandre Wyns provides coaching through these institutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adie (Association pour le Droit à l'Initiative Économique): French non-profit financing and supporting entrepreneurs excluded from traditional banking, including unemployed individuals, via microcredit and accompaniment. Comparable mission of activating entrepreneurship among disadvantaged populations with public co-funding.
• Initiative France: Federation of local associations supporting business creation through mentoring, financing (interest-free loans), and accompaniment. Same mission profile of helping new entrepreneurs test and launch, with similar reliance on public/private funding partnerships.
• Couveuse d'entreprises / BGE Incubateur: Business "incubators" (couveuses) that host aspiring entrepreneurs under a host enterprise number so they can test their activity in market conditions while retaining benefits. Operationally very close to Azimut's Phase Test product.
• Réseau Entreprendre: European network (France, Belgium, Switzerland) pairing aspiring and new entrepreneurs with experienced mentors and supporting financing. Directly comparable mission of accompaniment and business-creation coaching using a local-chapter delivery model.
• France Active: French network of regional associations financing and accompanying entrepreneurs, particularly those creating jobs in disadvantaged areas, using public and private funding. Similar structure of accompaniment plus financial-aid administration.
• Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) networks (e.g., Coopaname, Oxalis): French cooperative structures that let entrepreneurs test a business under the cooperative's legal umbrella before spinning out — a near-mirror of Azimut's Phase Test using the SAACE enterprise number. Highly comparable model and operational mechanics.
• Réseau BGE (Boutique de Gestion Espace): French non-profit network supporting business creation by job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs, providing coaching, training, and accompaniment across France using public funding. Closest functional peer to Azimut's SAACE model.

Broad incumbents

• Bpifrance: French public investment bank providing financing, guarantees, and business support to a broad spectrum of entrepreneurs, including creation-stage. A larger, established player offering overlapping accompaniment plus finance but across all of France and across stages.

Regional players

• 1819 Brussels-Hub / hub.brussels: Brussels-Capital regional agency advising entrepreneurs and SMEs on financing, training, and internationalisation. Regional peer to Azimut serving an adjacent (non-competing, non-overlapping) jurisdiction with similar entrepreneurship-support mandate.
• IFAPME (Institut wallon de formation en alternance et indépendante): Walloon training institute providing sector-specific entrepreneurial training (artisanal, commercial, services). Sits in Azimut's ecosystem as a complementary partner providing formal training rather than full accompaniment, but closely linked via referrals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmZKtaSropMrU_cD5lk4Uxw
• Facebookfacebook.com/azimutentreprendre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/azimut-scrl-coop%C3%A9rative-d'activit%C3%A9s
• Instagraminstagram.com/azimut.entreprendre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Azimuth Undertake